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their support of STEM programs in the commu-
nities they serve.
As this giving trend began to emerge, CECP
acted. In 2017, the organization launched one of
its Accelerate Communities initiatives, Systemic
Investments in Equity, Talent, and Tech (ETT), a
peer group of companies focused on common
issues. This CECP-led think tank of corporate
responsibility leaders, who met regularly to
gain a better understanding of the foundational
issues behind the STEM shortfall, included
Exelon Corporation, Dell Inc., Discovery Educa-
tion, Deutsche Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, Honey-
well, Intel, Northwestern Mutual, PSEG, PwC,
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tata Consultancy
Services, and United Technology.
“What is common to all the [ETT] participants
is that they are focused on access to STEM
learning,” explains André Solórzano, senior
manager of data insights at CECP. “We wanted
to understand what was driving them to fi nd
solutions to this issue. And it’s really on a spec-
trum. On one side of the spectrum, they’re doing
it because it matches their social responsibility
programs. On the other side, there’s the talent
crunch. They were having real issues fi nding a
diverse workforce.”
CECP also engaged with people on the front
lines—academics, community leaders, and
STEM practitioners—to draw on their research
and expertise, and these professionals reinforced
one of the ETT’s key fi ndings. The majority of
people entering the workforce by 2032 will be
people of color, according to nonprofi t think
tank Economic Policy Institute, so unless
underserved communities receive equal access
to training in STEM-related skills, the U.S. will be
in danger of losing its status as a world leader in
science and technology.
But blanket solutions like equal access to
STEM programs aren’t enough to create a di-
verse workforce. And CECP’s research showed
that pouring money into outreach programs
such as hackathons and robotics contests
wasn’t moving the needle either. The reason:
Certain students weren’t getting the formal,
foundational courses in the classroom that
they needed to develop vital skills. So
while, in principle, a curriculum is
offered equally to all schools, there
is no actual equity if not all schools
are, in fact, equal.
“Research shows that a key
IT’S NOT
JUST ABOUT
DEVELOPING
INFORMAL
AFTER-SCHOOL
OR SUMMER
LEARNING
PROGRAMS
FOR STUDENTS,
BECAUSE THEY
WILL NOT DO A
CHILD ANY GOOD
WITHOUT BASIC
EIGHTH-GRADE
ALGEBRA.
issue is eighth-grade algebra,” says
Solórzano. “Schools that are underfunded
are unlikely to offer it, even if their curricu-
lum demands it. Yet, one needs algebra
to progress through a mathematical
program in high school—and to be con-
sidered by top-tier colleges. So it’s not just
about developing informal after-school or
summer learning programs for students,
because they will not do a child any good
without basic eighth-grade algebra.”
CECP acknowledges there are no
quick fi xes to structural inequities and
that true equity requires changing the
underlying societal issues that place
some communities at a disadvantage.
It will take hard work in the form of com-
prehensive, collaborative interventions
among communities, teachers, govern-
ment, schools, and post-secondary in-
stitutions to build an equitable education
system. This kind of “collective impact”
is a concerted stakeholder push to come
together, defi ne a problem, develop a
vision, design a solution, and systemati-
cally measure progress.
CECP developed a framework of
six steps for corporate engagement
programs moving toward equity. First,
companies should assess what’s driv-
ing them: the talent gap or their social
responsibility goals. Second, they need
to identify the problem they are trying
to solve. Third, they must develop an
internal business case. Fourth, they must
align their corporate responsibility and
talent acquisition goals. Fifth, they must
partner with other relevant organizations.
Finally, they have to keep their focus
on one key issue: making institutions
equitable.
These efforts have now begun to bear
fruit. Two participating companies are in
the process of launching collective im-
pact initiatives, and Solórzano says more
such partnerships are in the works.
“We’re seeing companies become
more intentional and thoughtful about
their approaches,” he says. “We encour-
age our companies to push themselves
just a little bit more to have a truly lasting
impact on some of society’s toughest
challenges.” ■—ANDRÉ SOLÓRZANO
Senior Manager of
Data Insights, CECP